Some months ago I sat in the cancer center receiving an iron infusion, and sitting adjacent to me was a sweet woman I had met the week before. She was receiving her chemo, wearing her hat, and generally bringing a cheerfulness to a very cheerless environment. With her was a younger woman, wearing her scarf and making everyone laugh with her vivacity. I assumed they were friends walking through chemo together.
Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, – a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.
~George Herbert
“Just five?”
That was Brian’s response.
You see, we have started reading a book together on parenting and raising children and love and discipline. Each chapter holds exercises for us to do together. Exercises that we discovered will not only enrich our mind and heart when it comes to parenting but also when it comes to each other.
Yesterday’s exercise involved naming each child and listing five assets or attributes or just beautiful things about them that are inherent in them that we see, because our fallen world has trained us to miss what’s right before our eyes. Because our natural tendency is to focus on the negative. Because our children need to hear and know and be sure of our love because of who they are.
